Place Vendome Paris

A vast architectural complex dating from the time of Louis XIV, its name derives from the fact that the residence of the Duke of Vendome was here. It was created between 1687 and 1720 as a setting for the equestrian statue by Girardon dedicated to Louis XIV and destroyed during the Revolution.
The square, octagonal in form, simple and austere, is surrounded by buildings which have large arcades on the ground floor and skilfully distributed pediments higher up, crowned on the roofs by the dormer-windows typical of Paris. Today at no. 15 is the famous Hotel Ritz and at no. 12 the house where Chopin died in 1849.

In the centre of the square is the column erected by Gondouin and Lepere between 1806 and 1810 in honour of Naoleon I. Inspired by the Column of Trajan in Rome, it is 145 feet high, and around its shaft is a spiralling series of bronze bas reliefs, cast from the 1200 cannon captured at Austerlitz. On the top of the column, Chaudet erected a statue of the Emperor dressed as Caesar, but it was destroyed in 1814 and replaced in 1863, this time im the military dress of the Little Corporal, but eight years later, at the time of the Commune, it was once more pulled down. It was finally replaced three years later by a copy of the original by Chaudet.

From Place Vendome, we walk along Rue de la Paix, which was previously called Rue Napoleon. Today it is one of the most splendid streets in the city, lined by famous and expensive shops: at no. 13 is the jeweller Cartier. At the end of the street on the right we reach the Avenue de l'Opera, which was opened at the time of the Second Empire.

Place Vendome - pictures

Opera

The Opera is the largest theatre for lyric opera in the world. Designed by Garnier and built between 1862 and 1874, it is the typical monument of the era of Napoleon III.

Madeleine

Designed along the lines of the Maison Carree at Nimes, the Madeleine was built by order of Napoleon in honour of the Grand Army. He had a previous building, which had never been completed, demolished and in 1806 comminssioned the architect Vignon to construct it. in 1814 it became a church and was dedicated to St Mary Magdalene. It has the form and structure of a classical Greek temple: a wide base, with a stairway and a colonade of 52 Corinthian columns 65 feet high. The pediment has a huge frieze sculpted by Lemaire in 1834 and depicting the Last Judgment.

Interior: The building is without aisles. In the vestibule are two groups of sculpture by Pradier and Rude. Above the high altar is a work by Marochetti (Assumption of St Mary Magdalene).

In front of the Madeleine, the Rue Royale stretches out in fine perspective, closed at the other and by the symmetrical mass of the Palais Bourbon. The Rue Royale, opened in 1732, is short but full of luxury, including for example Maxim's restaurant and the shop of Christofle. At no. 6 Madame de Stael lived.
About halfway along Rue Royale is naother important street, the Rue du Faubourg St-Honore, of which the number 13 was removed by order of the superstitious Empress Eugenie. This street has become almost synonymous with elegance and fashion, since it contains some of the most famous shops for perfumes, jewellery and dresses in the world. Among their names are St Laurent, Hermes, Cardin, Lancome, Helena Rubinstein and Lanvin.

Elysee Palace

This is the residence of the President of the French Republic. It was built in 1718 by Mollet for the son-in-law of the financier Crozat, the Count d'Evreux. After becoming public property the Revolution, it was inhabited by Caroline Bonaparte and later by the Empress Josephine. Here, on 22 june 1815, Napoleon signed his act of abdication. Since 1873 the Elysee has been the official residence of the various presidents who have headed the French Republic.

Tuileries Gardens

The gardens extend for about one kilometer between Place de la Concorde and Place du Carrousel. Entrance is trough an imposing gate with pillars bearing the equestrian statues of Mercury (on the right) and Fame (on the left), both by Coysevox.

Two flights of steps lead up to the terraces of the Orangerie ( to the right) and of the Jeune de Paume (to the left), which until recently housed the Impressionist collections now on display at the Orsay Museum on the left bank of the Seine. Nowadays temporary exhibitions are held at the Jeu de Paume.

Place De Gaulle

Formerly Place de l'Etoile, this square is at the end of the Champs-Elysees. It is a vast circular area 130 yards in diameter, from which a total of twelve important streets radiate out: Avenue des Champs-Elysees, Avenue de Friedland, Avenue Hoche, Avenue de Wagram, Avenue MacMahon, Avenue Carnot, Avenue de la Grande Armee, Avenue Foch, Avenue Victor Hugo, Avenue Kleber, Avenue d'lena and Avenue Marceau.

Grand Palais

It was built by Daglone and Louvet and has a facade with lonic columns 787 feet long and 65 feet high. Today art shows, including important exhibitions of painting, are held here. Part of it is occupied by the Palais de la Decouverte, or Palace of Discovery, where the most recent conyuests of science and the steps im man's progress are celebrated.

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Petit Palais

This contains the Musee du Petit Palais, a large collection of ancient and modern art. It includes paintings by French artists of the 19th and 20th centuries (from Gericault to Delacroix, from Ingres to Courbet, from Redon to Bonnard), which are part of the Municipal Collections. The Tuck and Dutuit collections, on the other hand, include not only various objects of Greek, Roman, Etruscan and Egyptian antiquity ( among them enamelwork and pottery), but also drawings and paintings from various eras and various countries ( including Dürer, Cranach, Van de Velde, Watteau, Pollaiolo, Guardi).

Musée du Petit Palais

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